Perioperative care: Apfel score: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Perioperative care: Apfel score

Sample item

Using the Apfel score for postoperative nausea and vomiting, which patient has the highest risk?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Female non-smoker with motion sickness, given postoperative opioids

The Apfel score counts four risk factors: female sex, non-smoking status, a history of postoperative nausea or motion sickness, and use of postoperative opioids. The first patient has all four. Prophylaxis with more than one antiemetic is advised in the high-risk group.

Option by option

  • A. Female non-smoker with motion sickness, given postoperative opioids (correct)

    Correct. This patient has all four Apfel risk factors.

  • B. Male non-smoker with motion sickness, given opioid-free analgesia

    This patient has two risk factors, non-smoking and motion sickness.

  • C. Female smoker with no history, given opioid-free analgesia

    This patient has only one risk factor, female sex.

  • D. Male smoker with no history, given opioid-free analgesia

    This patient has none of the risk factors.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Female non-smoker with motion sickness, given postoperative opioids. The Apfel score counts four risk factors: female sex, non-smoking status, a history of postoperative nausea or motion sickness, and use of postoperative opioids.

Why is "Male non-smoker with motion sickness, given opioid-free analgesia" not the answer?

This patient has two risk factors, non-smoking and motion sickness.

Why is "Female smoker with no history, given opioid-free analgesia" not the answer?

This patient has only one risk factor, female sex.

Why is "Male smoker with no history, given opioid-free analgesia" not the answer?

This patient has none of the risk factors.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Perioperative care: Apfel score in General Surgery. The first patient has all four. Prophylaxis with more than one antiemetic is advised in the high-risk group.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Perioperative care: Apfel score?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.